Fans from abroad are talking selfies with Russian women near the Red Square // Screencapped from CBC News by Runet Echo Despite the grim predictions, the World Cup in Russia has stunned even the most skeptical of observers. Social media posts and newspaper columns are praising not just the event’s superbRead More →

Detail from an infographic describing the Mexican team’s possible consequences for violating FIFA’s rules regarding the homophobic language used by their fans during the World Cup. Used with permission by Pictoline. As Russia hosts the final days of the FIFA World Cup 2018, Mexico’s team has drawn the attention of the FederationRead More →

Football player Erfan Hezim took a selfie with Lionel Messi weeks before he was detained in a re-education center. Image via FifPro. With World Cup 2018 underway, all eyes are focused on the game. But many people are unaware of what — or who — is missing on the field.Read More →

Tajik stamp commemorating the 2006 World Cup in Germany, for which Tajikistan did not qualify. CC2.0. When I founded the first ever online platform covering Tajik football in the Tajik language in 2008, no football club had any official online presence. Local media in my former Soviet Central Asian country,Read More →

Russian and foreign fans celebrate together after the host’s victory over Saudi Arabia on the tournament’s opening, on June 14. Photo: Screenshot/Youtube DW The World Cup officially began on June 14th, with organizers expecting one million visitors to come to Russia despite several countries issuing travel warnings for this year’s host. SomeRead More →